Someone Beside Me
by Lunamaris321
Summary: Harry's summer takes a bad turn when he is carted off to Azkaban by the Ministry. Will anyone come for him? Even if they do, what kind of shape will he be in? AU, after fourth year. Slight HPGW undertones in future, but mostly friendshipfamily relationshi
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Hooray! This is my first Harry Potter fic, as well as my first AU (Alternate Universe, I just discovered) fic. It takes place starting the summer after fourth year, but I don't know when it'll end. Please read the AN at the bottom. It has some info that hopefully will clear up later questions. I'll continue to try and anticipate questions, so there will always be AN's.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Harry Potter books, Sirius never would have died. Hence, I am a teenager writing on under a penname, not to mention that I get no money off this. More's the pity. J.K. Rowling gets all credit.

**Someone Beside Me**

"_We bow to each other, Harry. Come, the niceties must be observed… Dumbledore would like you to show manners… Bow to death, Harry… I said, _bow_,"_

_He held his head high, trying to fight it, but Voldemort raised his wand and he could feel his back bending in spite of himself. In the background the laughter of hooded figures rang clear._

"_Very good." Harry stood tall again, but he was more scared than he'd been in his entire life. "And now you face me, like a man… straight-backed and proud, the way your father died…_

"_And now - we duel."_

_He tried to say something, but before he could even think of a spell he was hit by excruciating pain. He couldn't concentrate, he was being pierced by white-hot knives, his head felt like it would split from pain, he was screaming, he didn't even know where he was -_

"Boy!"

Harry woke with a start. He wasn't in the graveyard, he was at the Dursleys', in his bed.

"Whassup?" He said hoarsely, opening his eye a crack to look at his furious uncle. Had he woken his mother's family with his screams? That would explain the expression on Uncle Vernon's face.

But his uncle wasn't alone. Two men flanked him. Both were large and strong-looking, wearing long black cloaks with badges that Harry couldn't make out in the feeble light from the moon. And both men carried wands.

Wizards.

"These - _men_ - say that you broke your law," Uncle Vernon spat. "You're a _criminal_. Get out."

Harry gaped. Of all the things he'd thought it might be, he hadn't expected this. "_What? _I didn't do anything!"

"Cedric Diggory." One of the wizards said pointedly. "You are wanted for questioning in relation to his death." The other wizard began prowling around the room, summoning Harry's belongings and tossing them methodically in the trunk.

"What are you doing with my things?" Harry cried, outraged.

"If you're a murderer, your belongings will be confiscated. If not, they will be returned to you with a full apology." The first wizard said. "Lumos."

The room filled with light from the wand, and Harry could see from the badges that the two men were, in fact, Aurors. He was being taken from his bed for questioning, presumably at the Ministry. Fudge wasn't pleased with him. This wouldn't go well, he could tell.

"What happens if I refuse to come?" He asked, weighing his chances. It was a gamble. If he used magic to try and escape, either he would be in major trouble for using magic, or he would get away and be declared an outlaw.

The Auror searching his things held something up. His wand. There went that idea. Of course, he wasn't really in the condition to fight a duel anyway, having just woken up from a nightmare. And he hadn't been eating much lately, something that he now regretted. "Are you sure you want to know?" The Auror said, with just the barest hint of a smile. An unfriendly smile, Harry noticed with unease.

Harry opened his mouth to reiterate that he was innocent, but before he could so much as draw breath -

"Stupefy!"

There was a flash of red light, and Harry knew nothing more.

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The first thing Harry saw when he opened his eyes for the second time that night was the face of the Minister of Magic. Rage boiled in his veins at the man before him, to the point where he wanted to spit at Fudge's feet just to show what he thought of him. In the end, however, he decided that wouldn't be so wise. His best chance of getting out of this before ending up in Azkaban was probably to be as calm and polite as possible. But Harry had no delusions, even having not being informed of the charges yet. He knew he was in trouble.

So he took a moment to check out his surroundings. He was lying on a hard cot in a prison-like cell, but the lack of inner screaming - his mother - made him think the place was devoid of dementors.

"Why am I here?" Harry croaked, though he thought he knew.

Fudge gave a short bark. "Cedric Diggory, my dear boy. You killed him. Surely you didn't think that the law would let you get away with murder, did you?"

"I didn't kill him," Harry said firmly, sitting up.

"Then how did he die? People don't drop dead of their own accord, and by your own admission you were the only one present."

"I never said that! I told you, Voldemort killed him in front of Peter Pettigrew and me."

"You are delusional. You-Know-Who is gone, Harry. Dead. How could he have returned when all his supporters are in Azkaban or dead?" Fudge jibed. "Well, all except Sirius Black. And Pettigrew is dead as well, killed by Black. But there's no way even a dark wizard like Black could have raised You-Know-Who from the dead."

"Pettigrew is alive. And not all Voldemort's" - Fudge flinched - "supporters are in Azkaban. I gave you names, Minister," Harry had to force himself to be polite. "It's up to you to act on them."

A vein pulsed in Fudge's left cheek. "I have no reason to trust your word, Mr. Potter. In fact, I would say that if Cedric Diggory were alive you would be in St. Mungo's mental ward right now. As it is, we cannot place a murderer in a hospital, so we have to find another place."

He sighed and spread his hands. "I _am_ sorry about this. I liked you. Sharp boy. But spreading stories about You-Know-Who being alive to get attention is going a bit far. You and Dumbledore both. Tell me, why do you do it? Surely there are other ways to get attention."

Harry could feel his temper rising. "You think I like publicity? You think I like having people gawk at me wherever I go because of nasty articles? In case you've forgotten, _Minister_, my parents are _dead_. Don't you think I would rather have them back?" He stood, drawing himself to full height, which unfortunately wasn't very tall. "You have no charges against me. There is no evidence. I expect to be released immediately with a full apology."

"No." Fudge stood as well, and Harry had to admit that the older wizard looked much more intimidating than he himself did, even with his face beet red. "Evidence we may lack, boy, but there is considerable circumstance, and the fact that you may be… ahh… unhinged. But just for you, I will re-adopt a policy abolished after You-Know-Who's fall." Fudge smirked. "Guilty until proven innocent. You will now be escorted to Azkaban to await trial."

"And when will that be?" Harry spat through clenched teeth.

"When we get around to it. After all, the Ministry has a lot of work to do dispelling rumors."

Harry stayed silent. He knew that, at this point, nothing he could say or do would help his case. Fudge just wanted to save his job. _Dumbledore,_ he thought desperately. _He'll get me out of this. He's gotten me out of worse before… he'll come get me before they turn me over to the dementors…_

"And don't go getting ideas about Dumbledore saving your hide," Fudge warned, as though reading Harry's mind. "He won't know. Dawlish! Shacklebolt!" He called through the cell's barred door.

Two Aurors entered the cell. Harry noted with mild interest that they weren't the two who had collected him from the Dursley's. The tall black-skinned one - Shacklebolt? - gave him a small wink behind Fudge's back.

"Accompany Mr. Potter to Azkaban Fortress and ensure that he is settled in. Quietly, mind you," Fudge added. "Don't breathe a word to anyone. If this gets out I will hold both of you personally responsible, and it _will_ mean your jobs." He turned to Harry. "No tricks, boy, or it will be the worse for you. I don't have to be nice to murder suspects." He turned and left the cell, leaving Harry alone with Dawlish and Shacklebolt.

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Harry had never been to Azkaban before, but the haunted look that still appeared in Sirius's eyes had been enough to put him off the place before ever seeing it. The cold began penetrating his heart when he was still in the boat, and by the time he was actually on the island Harry could hear his mother screaming in the back of his head. Shacklebolt had taken his wand, and without it Harry had no hope of driving the dementors back.

"Come on," Dawlish growled, pulling him through the heavy iron gate. Shacklebolt took his other arm, more gently, Harry noticed.

"I'll get him squared away while you speak to the dementors," the tall Auror told his partner. Dawlish nodded curtly while Shacklebolt led Harry away through the doors, out of earshot. "It's okay, Harry. Nobody can hear us here."

Harry looked up at him. "Why?" he said bluntly. His dementor-fogged mind couldn't think of a single reason why Shacklebolt wasn't being as brutal as Dawlish, from whom Harry knew he'd have some bruises when morning came._ If it comes,_ he thought darkly.

"I work with Dumbledore," The wizard told him in an undertone. "Just since the summer, but I believe You-Know-Who's back. I'll make sure Dumbledore knows of your arrest by dawn. We'll get you out soon; don't worry."

He led Harry into a cell in the innermost part of the fortress. Again there were no windows, and it was bare of furnishings except for a bucket. Harry supposed that it was to be used as a chamber pot.

"I wish I could make it more comfortable, but the Ministry would know," Shacklebolt commented. Seeing Harry's surprised look, he added, "Wand signatures, you know. They're not monitored in most places, but with Azkaban being a prison…"

Harry stored this information away for future reference. He hadn't known that wands had signatures, and made a mental note to ask Hermione for more information.

Dawlish appeared in the cell door. "We're going, Kingsley." He looked at Harry. "A dementor will be on guard outside your door from dawn until dusk. If you're not insane already, and I'm rather inclined to believe that you are, you soon will be."

Kingsley Shacklebolt gave Harry a final, almost pitying look before following his coworker, shutting the cell door behind them.

Harry sat down on the damp stone floor. He could barely think from the inner screams and other memories that he was trying so hard to suppress. In between attempting to remember happier times, Dawlish's parting words came back in a rush. The truth in them stung, and Harry's heart felt even colder.

If he had to spend much time here, he _would_ go mad. There was no escaping it.

Or was there? Sirius had kept his sanity by remembering that he was innocent. As his godfather had said, it wasn't a happy thought, so he could retain it.

Shacklebolt was telling Dumbledore. Surely he would be out by the afternoon. In the meantime, he had to remember that he was innocent… innocent…

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A/N: Heck, I'm trying. I actually have the first three chapters and part of the fourth written, but I have to type them up since I wrote them longhand while on vacation - of a sort - in Antalya, which is in southern Turkey.

To anyone who's read Believe or Not So Helpless- I am not giving up. I just have to say that, since it's been a while since I updated and I don't like it when people give up on stories, so I always feel the need to reassure people. No offence meant, honestly. I've been sick a lot lately (flu four times in two weeks! New personal record!), and I just got the news that my dog died a continent away, so I haven't exactly been in a fluffy or hopeful mood lately. Mac was such a sweetie, and he was only three! He got hit by a car and his spinal cord was completely severed. There was no chance of recovery, but I can't quite imagine going home and having him not be there ready to eat our cookies off the counter again.

Anyway, enough about me and my issues. I'll put the gang at Grimmauld place in the next chapter. It's going to be mostly AU, but a bit canon, like the Order and the prophecy and the characters. Oh yeah, and I'm trying to keep the people in character but if I fail don't be surprised. Fudge is not completely evil or anything. He's just too ambitious, and is being a bit ruthless. Hey, I had him apologize, so he's not completely soulless. Although maybe that makes him worse… well, you decide. The point is that I'm not trying to make him a Death Eater or something like that. Fudge is purely an idiot.

As always, please review! I need to know what you think. It's very important to me, so let me know even if you hate it. If you _do_ hate it, would you tell me why so I know what to change? Thank you!

As always,

**Lunaterra**


	2. A Spout of Bad News

A/N: Wow! Within twenty-four hours (or maybe more like twelve) I had seven reviews! Thank you all! I can't tell you what it means to me. Get used to hearing that because I'm completely honest. Oh, and I'm sorry this took me so long. FF.N kept saying I had bad parameters whenever I tried to upload. Anyone know what that means? Me neither.

Oh, and a warning: this chapter contains mild swearing. I don't usually do that, but my fingers sort of got ahead of my brain and I decided to leave it at that. I have a few more chapters written and being beta'd right now (thank you, Keladry Sakura!), and I'm working on more. So there, you insane plot mice who made me revise about three of them.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Not even the Extendable Ears. Oh, how I wish I did. I'd get someone to invent me my own personal portable library - complete with window seat - if I had _that_ kind of money. But heck, chocolate's good too.

**Someone Beside Me**

Chapter two

"What's going on?"

"Shut up, Fred! They'll hear us!"

"Well, if you would stop breathing so loudly - "

"Shut _up!_"

Quietly - or not - Fred and George Weasley crept along the hallway of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Although Dumbledore was acting like he normally did, Kingsley had come to the Order meeting looking unusually solemn, even for him. Knowing that the Auror worked at the Ministry, the twins had resolved to find out what was happening. This was where their newest product, known as the Extendable Ear, came in.

"Hello, Sirius," came a pleasant voice.

"Dammit," Fred sword, dragging George behind a bookshelf. "Dumbledore!"

The minute they had ducked out of sight the Headmaster of Hogwarts himself appeared, accompanied by a slightly unhappy-looking Sirius Black.

"Good morning, Dumbledore," replied Sirius politely, voice devoid of emotion.

Dumbledore gave a quick look around the hall to make sure no one was listening (though it evidently wasn't a very thorough check, as he missed Fred and George) before lowering his voice. "Listen, Sirius, you are always welcome to come. But today I'll just be giving people new assignments. I'm sorry, but at the present time I won't be giving you one."

Sirius's shoulders visibly slumped. "I see. I guess I'll just go sit with Buckbeak for a while, then." He turned to go, but stopped and looked back. "When will Harry be able to come?"

Dumbledore looked at him with something akin to pity. "I believe that he is safest with his aunt and uncle for now. However, we shall see. It won't be too long," he said gently.

Sirius headed back upstairs without another word. The Headmaster looked after him for a moment before continuing into the dining room.

Fred and George stared at each other, eyebrows raised. "What d'you reckon?" George whispered finally. "Was he lying?"

"I don't know. It seems fishy, like Dumbledore didn't want Sirius there," mused Fred. "Well, only one way to find out."

Together they tiptoed to the stairs, settling themselves about halfway up. George untangled two long flesh-colored strings, which wriggled their way down the stairs and under the dining room door. Once the twins had inserted the free end into their ears, they could hear as though they were in the room with the Order members.

" - here? Good. Let's begin." It was Dumbledore, sounding slightly more tired than he normally did. "Before we do anything else, Kingsley has some rather disturbing news."

The sounds of a chair being pushed back came through the Ears. "I was called at about three this morning to deliver a detainee to Azkaban," Kingsley rumbled. The room grew silent. "Harry Potter is being held awaiting trial for the death of Cedric Diggory."

Fred and George stared at each other. How could the Ministry actually believe that Harry had killed Cedric?

"Oh, the poor boy!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed back in the dining room. "What are we going to do? You are planning to get him released, aren't you?"

Lupin's mild voice came through. "Dumbledore, we need to get him out of there, _fast_. You know how badly the dementors affect him. It'll only be worse after the scene in the graveyard. Is he heavily guarded?"

Fred and George knew their former professor well enough to realize that when he said something needed to be done quickly, he was serious. Remus Lupin didn't choose his words lightly

"There'll be a dementor right outside his cell from sunup to sundown," replied Kingsley. "I suppose they decided a wandless fourteen-year-old isn't much of a threat at night."

"How do you suppose his dear godfather will react? I assume this is why he isn't at the meeting?" Fred's lip curled upon hearing Snape's oily voice.

"Sirius will be out of his mind with worry. He knows better than any of us the effects of being in Azkaban for a prolonged period of time. How in Merlin's name did you keep him away from this meeting? Do you intend to tell him?" Lupin asked. His tone changed as he addressed Dumbledore; there was a small amount of anger on behalf of his friend.

"I said that we were going to discuss the new assignments, which is true enough once we've done with this. Remus, I leave it up to you whether to tell Sirius or not. You know him best of all of us. And Severus," Dumbledore's voice held a note of warning now, "I don't want to hear of you baiting Sirius. Actually, I simply don't want you to do it, whether I hear of it or not. That man has had enough hardship in his life without your taunting."

Snape chose not to comment.

"But you'll start the legal ways to get Harry out, won't you, Albus?" McGonagall said. "Alert the press. The public won't be happy - "

"I dare not, Minerva. Fudge told Kingsley and Dawlish in no uncertain terms that if this information got out, they would lose their jobs. He's keeping it under wraps. I in particular was not to know."

Silence.

"Rest assured that I am doing all in my power to have Harry released. With any luck he'll be here by the end of the week." Dumbledore sounded as though he was trying to convince himself as well as the Order. "Now, for new assignments. Arthur, I need you to - "

Fred and George didn't bother to wait and find out what their dad was up to. Pulling the Ears after them they scrambled up to their youngest brother's room. Inside, both Ron and Hermione were bent over a book.

"Stop that, Hermione. You're having a bad influence on our brother. We have to live with him, you know," George sniggered. Ron looked up, scowling.

"What's so important that you didn't bother to Apparate?" He asked.

The smile disappeared. "It's Harry," said Fred. "We were listening in on an Order meeting - you know, with the Ears. Fudge had him arrested and taken to Azkaban. They think he killed Diggory."

Hermione breathed in sharply and Ron went pale as they considered this news.

"Or, more likely, Fudge decided that Harry was a liability to his position and wanted him out of the way," Hermione said, assessing the situation as quickly as she always did.

"Too true," agreed George, casting a dark look at the old Daily Prophet issue in the corner.

Ron stood. "Is Dumbledore going to free him? Harry - doesn't like - dementors very much," he said awkwardly. Both he and Hermione knew just how much of an understatement that was.

"Not from what we heard," George said grimly. "It sounded like Dumbledore had no idea what to do. He's not supposed to know. And Lupin said the same thing, Ron. He fainted in your third year, didn't he?"

"He hears his parents death," Hermione told him softly.

They were silent for a moment, each contemplating how they would feel if they were forced to hear their mom and dad die over and over.

"But Sirius won't stand for it, will he?" Hermione sounded as though she were pleading. "He broke out of Azkaban after twelve years there. I'm sure he could get back in. And the two people he cares most about are Professor Lupin and Harry. There's no way Sirius would let Harry stay in that… place."

Fred shook his head. "Sirius doesn't know. Dumbledore got him not to come to the meeting. I guess he thinks Sirius'll do something rash."

"And they're just leaving Harry in that place?" Ron clenched his fingers into a fist, as if he wanted to punch something - or someone.

"Yup." George confirmed. "That's what it sounded like."

"Thanks for telling us, guys. C'mon, 'Mione," Ron said determinedly. We're going to talk to a certain huge black dog." He practically dragged his friend out of the room, though Hermione didn't need much persuasion.

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Sirius was up in Buckbeak's room, brooding and pacing by turns. He felt so trapped, unable to do anything. Snape's snide remarks didn't help matters, and to top it off Sirius was back in the one place he hated almost as much as Azkaban.

"Um, Sirius? Can we come in?" Hermione poked her head around the door timidly.

Sirius jumped, then smiled as he saw Harry's two best friends. "Of course," he said courteously, gesturing.

As Ron and Hermione seated themselves on the floor next to Buckbeak, Sirius noticed that they both looked extremely upset. "What's up? Percy hasn't gone and done something else, has he?"

Ron snorted. "Percy wouldn't lower himself to speak to any of us, and good riddance, even if it does make Mum sad."

"Then what's happened? You both look like someone died," he pressed. "It's not - Harry, is it?"

The look on their faces confirmed his worst fear: that something had happened to his godson. "Tell me." The words came out more harshly than he'd intended, but Sirius didn't stop to apologize.

"Fudge evidently decided that Harry was a threat to his job," Ron spilled, an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face. "He had Harry arrested and put in Azkaban for killing Diggory, just this morning."

Sirius nearly screamed aloud. That place was hell on earth for a person with the normal run of bad moments, and Harry had enough distressing memories to fill his entire life. He was only fourteen! "So that's why Dumbledore didn't want me at the meeting. How'd you know?" Sirius tried to sound calm, but for some reason his hands simply wouldn't stop shaking.

"Fred and George. They've invented a new product - the Extendable Ear, I think it's called."

"But Dumbledore'll have him out by this afternoon, right?"

Hermione looked away. "From what the twins heard, Dumbledore has no idea what to do. He apparently wasn't that specific except to say that Kingsley would lose his job if Fudge knew that Dumbledore had been informed, or if the press heard of it."

Sirius sagged, then straightened. "I'm getting Harry out of there. He's not staying in that hellhole a minute longer than he has to." He stood and started for the door.

Hermione and Ron each grabbed an arm, holding fast. "Sirius, wait! This is exactly why I expect Dumbledore didn't tell you. I agree that Harry can't stay in there, but we need to plan properly. And if the other adults find out we know, there'll be major trouble."

At the tears glistening in Hermione's eyes, Sirius stopped. "All right. Would you go get Fred and George? And Ginny," he added as an afterthought. "If we leave her out… let's just say that I don't want to be on the wrong end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes."

Ron almost cracked a smile as he and Hermione filed out of Buckbeak's room, promising to be back within ten minutes.

Sirius's heart ached at the thought of the boy who was like a son to him on that godforsaken island, especially after the horrible events at the end of June. _Hold on, Harry,_ he thought desperately. _I'll bring you home, back here, if it's the last thing I do._

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"_No! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything - "_

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_A body falling; a high, cold laugh -_

_- Cedric, lying spread on the ground, dead -_

"_Bow to death, Harry… It might even be painless… I would not know… I have never died…"_

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A/N: If you didn't get it, it's daylight now and the last part was Harry's memories in Azkaban. If you thought it was weird and confusing, so much the better. Hey, Harry's trapped in his own mind during the day. Cut a boy some slack, would you (we'll just forget that I'm not a boy)?

Thanks are due to chelleb0b, Tasha Teh Fox, Paula79, gatermage, Magnificent the Destroyer Lord, Go-ruden Kiba, Quillian, nativewildmage and of course Keladry Sakura (who happens to be my wonderful beta, though this chapter isn't exactly beta'd. She does, however, have the next two chapters. Thank you!) for reviewing. I probably won't always do review responses, but I really felt like it. I'm in a _very_ happy mood today. Hmm, it might have to do with the fact that I just celebrated my sister's birthday and got two slices of cake… even if one of my other sisters did blow up when Mom and Dad found the half-eaten container of frosting in her bed. It also might just be that I'm happy about all the positive reviews. I love you all!

chelleb0b: Thanks! Seriously, I mean it. smiles happily I promise to update ASAP.

Tasha Teh Fox: I don't think Harry likes it in there very much, though, so I guess I'll have to get him out some way… erm, you sort of saw that in this chapter… more coming… and I'm honored! Thank you!

Paula79: Thank you! I'll update…

gatermage: I'll try to keep it going. Thanks!

Magnificent the Destroyer Lord: Basically. I love Latin. It's so fascinating the way JKR uses it in Harry Potter. You'd think they'd teach it at Hogwarts. Yeah, Fudge is a complete idiot. Hopefully he'll get his comeuppance.

Go-ruden Kiba: Oh yes, there will be more chapters. I couldn't just leave Harry hanging, could I now?

Keladry Sakura: Thank you for beta-ing! Erm, that's all I have to say, since I've already emailed you.

Quillian: Thanks!

nativewildmage: I just wanted to say that I really appreciate that you review everything I post. Thank you so much!

All right, I'll sign off for now so that I can actually attempt (again) to post this thing instead of just thinking about it for the next few days. I love you, and remember to review!

**Lunaterra**


	3. Making Plans

A/N: So there, you stupid computer. I just posted the second chapter, but here's the third. Explanations for anything weird are at the bottom. Thanks, and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything.

**Someone Beside Me**

Chapter 3

Minutes later, the students and Sirius were all gathered in Buckbeak's room, ready to discuss ideas.

"I guess the first thing is to decide when," mused Sirius. "I'll need a wand, for starters. Dumbledore's working on it, but I don't know for sure when…"

"And it'll have to be at night," Fred pointed out, "unless you want to be in close proximity with a dementor through the entire rescue."

Hermione nodded at him from where she sat in the corner, taking notes and leafing through books by turns. "How are we even going to get out there?"

"_We?_ Oh, no. The only one going on this particular mission is me." Sirius said. There was a flurry of protests. "Listen, if you all came, the amount of emotions would attract all the dementors in Azkaban. To have any chance of getting to Harry without losing our souls it has to just be me. And that's final." Some faces were still mutinus, but he ignored them and turned to Hermione. "I think we'll have to wait for the full moon. Remus would know where I'd gone in an instant if I turned up missing." The faces changed to a mix of shock and worry. "I don't want to leave Harry out there for three weeks. You know I don't. I know what Azkaban does to normal people, let alone someone with his life. Do you think I want that for my godson?" Sirius choked.

The truth in his words was evident in Sirius's overbright eyes, and stopped any arguments against leaving Harry in prison for that length of time. Nobody spoke for a long moment.

"How are _you_ going to get out there, then? I mean, you can swim there easily as Padfoot, but even if you could tow Harry back to shore it wouldn't be good for him. It's on an island, so the logical course would be to fly, but do you think you can hold Harry and control a broomstick at the same time?" Hermione said, voice shaking slightly. "Maybe he'll be able to fly himself, but we can't count on it."

Sirius frowned, angrily wiping his eyes. "I don't know - " he began, but Ginny cut in.

"Buckbeak."

They all stared at her.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "On Buckbeak you'll be able to carry Harry and not worry. Obviously you can't go flying a hippogriff around London, so Portkey to some field and fly Buckbeak out to Azkaban. Get Harry out and go back to the mainland on Buckbeak."

Ron began to smile. "I never knew you were so brilliant, Gins," he commented.

"There's a lot about me you don't know, oh dearest brother of mine," Ginny said, smirking.

" 'Dearest brother?' What happened to us?" Fred and George said together, hanging their heads in mock sorrow.

"As amusing as this undoubtedly is," Sirius said smoothly, sounding so like Snape that they all jumped. "We have a job to do. Okay, so I can get out there. What about coming back? Assuming I can get Harry and make it back to the mainland, how do we get in the house? This place is heavily warded even without the Fidelius Charm problem. I can't just ask Dumbledore for a slip of paper revealing the information, and if I took Harry to him before coming here, like as not he'd just send Harry back to Azkaban to protect Kingsley's job." There was no mistaking the bitterness in his voice.

Hermione looked up from where she'd been looking through Wandless Spells for the Defensively Inclined. "Actually, I think we can get around that," she said calmly, as though she were in class. "Dumbledore is Secret Keeper for the Order, not for number twelve Grimmauld Place. As owner of the house, you, Sirius, should be able to get through the other wards. As long as the Portkey is set to come to the house instead of Headquarters, there shouldn't be a problem."

Ron put his head in his hands. "I'm surrounded by brilliant girls!"

"But you love us," Ginny said, nonplussed.

"What can I do, Sirius?" Ron asked more solemnly.

The man smiled slightly. "We'll need a diversion to keep the adults - minus Remus - busy. Think you three can handle that?" Sirius asked Ron, Fred, and George.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find something to do," George replied, looking at Fred and grinning wickedly.

"Most definitely," agreed Fred, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"All right then. Ron, if my estimation of these two is correct, you'll probably need to stop them blowing up the house." Sirius said.

"Too right," muttered Ginny, earning a snort of laughter from Sirius and a glare from her two twin brothers.

"Why is Dumbledore getting you a new wand, Sirius?" asked Ron.

"Well, mine was snapped when they imprisoned me," the ex-convict replied matter-of-fact, though his hand shook slightly as he patted Buckbeak.

Ron pressed on. "Yes, but why can't you just borrow Lup… er, _Professor_" - he added at Hermione's glare - "Lupin's? He wouldn't know; he'll be transforming."

Sirius smiled slightly at the boy's use of Remus Lupin's no longer valid title. "Wand signatures are monitored in Azkaban. If I use a registered wand, the wizard - or witch - it belonged to would be blamed for Harry's breakout."

"I didn't know that!" Hermione exclaimed keenly, looking up again. "Are our wands registered?"

"No. You'll learn about this in seventh year, since wands have to be registered once you're out of school."

"Then why can't you use one of our wands?" Ginny pulled her own out of the back pocket of her jeans.

"Don't let Mad-Eye catch you doing that," George warned, "or you'll get a lecture on elementary wand safety and it's application in losing buttocks."

Ginny snorted. "So?" She demanded, looking at Sirius.

"Because they'll probably keep the record around for future reference, and I wouldn't put it past Fudge to test all your signatures simply because you're friends with Harry. Or his vicious toad of a senior undersecretary, Umbridge." At everyone's confused looks, he waved a hand. "Ask Remus about her sometime. Anyway, I need a new unregistered wand. I only hope they can't trace the maker."

Hermione shut Wandless Magic for the Defensively Inclined and jumped up. "I'm going to look up more about wand signatures. Hopefully there'll be something in the library to answer that, Sirius. That's where I'll be if anyone wants me." She left, shutting the door quietly.

"And we'd better go check our dungbomb supply if we're going to create a proper diversion. We might have to order more, and that'll take time to keep Mum from noticing. Come on, Ron. Your job as babysitter starts now."

Ron groaned slightly, but followed his brothers all the same. Ginny and Sirius were left alone petting Buckbeak.

"How on earth are you going to get in, find Harry, get out, and get on Beaky here without getting swarmed over by dementors?" Ginny asked, not mincing words. "That plan isn't much, if you ask me. We've got a date, a potential mode of transportation, and an untestable theory about the Fidelius Charm. Something's bound to go wrong."

Sirius sighed. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Getting in and finding Harry is fairly easy. As Padfoot I'll be able to get into the prison through the same rusty old grate I used to get out. Padfoot also knows Harry's smell well enough to find him, so no trouble there. But getting out… if we're quiet, I might be able to get Harry out of the prison itself without meeting any dementors. But the island itself is quite heavily guarded. A dementor would be able to sense our emotions before we'd gone five steps, and without being Padfoot I'm not a good enough Occlumens to block my feelings. Not enough patience." He grinned wryly, though his eyes revealed his worry.

"I wouldn't say that. You waited twelve years in Azkaban to get revenge on that rat Pettigrew and to help Harry. Now you're waiting out the war in a place you hate, not to mention refraining from rushing in there without a plan. All of those take more than a little patience," Ginny said thoughtfully.

Sirius's mouth curved in a genuine smile, touched. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I doubt that anyone else would say that, except Remus and Harry."

As he watched, an odd emotion flickered in Ginny's eyes. He had no way of knowing that it was the same emotion that appeared in his own eyes when he thought of his godson. But then, as quickly as it had come, the look was gone.

"What can I do to help?" She asked hopefully. "You've got Hermione and my insane brothers planning something horrible, so what's left?"

"I'm not sure. We ought to make a real outline of things on paper, but Remus was always better at that sort of thing that James and I. We'll need parchment, in any case. I guess - "

"Ginny? The meeting's over, and I need lunch help!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs.

" - we'll have to finish this later," Sirius finished unhappily. Ginny smiled sympathetically and patted his shoulder on her way out, leaving him alone with the hippogriff.

**pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq**

Harry came to, head pounding. Being in close proximity with a dementor the entire day had left him weak and trembling. At this rate, with him only barely able to control his thoughts and only at night, he doubted he would retain his sanity for a week.

Why had no one come for him? Dumbledore must know by now; Shacklebolt had promised to tell him. Did the headmaster simply not care? That couldn't be right. Dumbledore had always cared about Harry's well-being.

Harry didn't think that Ron and Hermione would have been told, so no help there. But Sirius… if Dumbledore wasn't going to get Fudge to release Harry. the boy was sure that his godfather wouldn't hesitate to march right into Azkaban. But then he was sure to be caught and given the Kiss.

Since, with the threat of the Dementor's Kiss, a rescue from Sirius wasn't entirely a happy thought, he clung to it like a lifeline. During the day he would just have to remember that, like his godfather, he was innocent.

Except that he didn't _feel_ innocent. He, Harry, had told Cedric to take the cup with him. Voldemort had only wanted him, not Cedric. Cedric would be alive now if not for Harry. It was his fault. He did deserve to be here, trapped in his memories by day and in his misery by night.

Come to think of it, it was his fault that his parents were dead. Again, Voldemort had been after him. And Harry had stopped Sirius and Lupin from killing Pettigrew, who had helped bring Voldemort back. Voldemort would probably kill hundreds - even thousands - of people, and he was directly responsible.

Harry looked at the meager tray of food and pushed it away from him. He wouldn't eat.

The world would be a safer place without Harry Potter. No one else would die because of him, least of all Sirius.

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A/N: Here's the deal. Sirius loves Harry in a father-son way, and Ginny loves Harry in a... er... boyfriend-girlfriend way. Because they both care about Harry (not that Ron and Hermione don't, but it's different), they've sort of forged a connection. Hope that clears any lingering questions up. Besides, I just had to have some interaction between Sirius and Ginny. They're two of my favorite characters!

Oh yeah, and for the record, this is _not_ an evil-or-manipulative Dumbledore fic. I just wanted Dumbledore to be clueless for once. It's not really canon, but what the heck. And the situation is minorly hopeless. We'll see.

Bye for now… review… I love you… okay, I'm really truly honestly going to do my schoolwork…

**Lunaterra**


	4. Dave Flamura and Will Smith

**A/N: **Bad! Very bad! I got a review this morning saying that I hadn't updated in months, and they were right. Thanks for telling me! Here's the next chapter!

Someone Beside Me

Chapter 4: Dave Flamura and Will Smith

Fudge had mixed feelings as he prepared for his annual trip to Azkaban. On the one hand, that dratted Potter wasn't spreading ridiculous rumors anymore, claiming that You-Know-Who had returned. Even Dumbledore had stopped making public statements.

On the downside, if a reporter caught a glimpse of the boy, the press would have a field day. It might be good publicity, lending proof to Fudge's insistence that Harry Potter's stories were pure fabrication. but he couldn't risk having parents become upset over a fourteen-year-old (fifteen, soon; wasn't his birthday next week?) being held in Azkaban.

A knock on the door disturbed Fudge's ruminating. "Come in," he called, slightly irritated. He was, after all, Minister. People shouldn't just drop by when they felt like it.

The office door opened and in walked a tall, blonde man. "Lucius," Fudge exclaimed with surprise, dropping the carefully prepared scowl. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"I thought I might accompany you on your trip to Azkaban, Minister, if you would be willing," replied Lucius sleekly. "I wish to have a few - ah - _words_ with a certain prisoner."

Fudge's smile widened. If anyone could teach the boy not to tell lies, it would be Lucius Malfoy. "Of course, my dear man." He checked his watch. "Our escort should be here any minute now. I have Dawlish coming, as well as Madam Umbridge, my Senior Undersecretary."

"And… a reporter?"

The smile diminished slightly. "Unfortunately, yes. Someone is coming from the _Daily Prophet_. Still, it could be worse. Perhaps we can keep away from the boy's cell, or bribe the reporter. If necessary, there's always a nice old-fashioned memory charm."

"True," Lucius agreed amiably. "Oh, here they come."

Dolores Umbridge, the Auror Dawlish, and a young man with a _Prophet_ badge were walking into the office. Fudge noticd with slight distain that Dolores was wearing her fluffiest pink cardigan. Really, she made an excellent Senior Undersecretary, but the woman had _no_ taste.

"All here then? Right, let's head out. The sooner we get there the sooner we can come back," Fudge said nervously.

But before he could touch the portkey to take them there the young man spoke up.

"Excuse me for asking, Minister, but I actually had a question regarding our return."

Fudge turned slowly to face him. The speaker looked to be about twenty-six, with curly brown hair and innocent blue eyes. "Yes?" Fudge made no effort to conceal his annoyance this time.

The reporter quailed slightly under the Minister's stare, but didn't budge. "My name is Dave Flamura. I was hoping to stay at Azkaban overnight, to give an accurate account of what it's like."

Fudge locked gaze with Lucius and Dolores in turn. The former had his guard up, revealing nothing. Dolores, however, had a malicious glint in her eyes, though Fudge couldn't tell quite what that meant he was supposed to do.

If he said no, it could spark some awkward question such as _why_. But if he said yes, there was more of a chance that this meddlesome reporter might catch sight of Potter. Or the wizarding public might be mad about "inhumane treatment". _Not likely, _Fudge snorted inwardly, _when all I have to do is remind them that these people are hardened criminals._

He chose the lesser of two evils. "Under the circumstances, I suppose it could be allowed."

A small smile crossed Dave's face. "Thank you very much, Minister. You're too kind."

All five members of the party crowded around the medallion that would serve as their portkey. Dawlish whispered, "Portus," and the room swirled out of sight.

**pqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq**

Harry soon lost track of the days and nights he spent locked up in his cell. A dementor brought a new food tray and took away the old twice a day, but Harry never ate. Once a day he would drink a sip of water, just to dull the emptiness. He could still think at night, though he almost wished he couldn't. The conclusions he'd drawn the first night at Azkaban stuck with him, making him wonder if he wouldn't be happier if it all ended.

He didn't move much, and when he did he nearly always slipped and fell on the floor. He didn't mind, not even when the sharp edges of stone scraped up his arms. It was a welcome relief from the emotional and mental torment that filled the rest of his waking hours. Physical pain took his mind off thinking.

Harry's nightmares had changed as well. Back at the Dursley's, he'd visited the graveyard almost every night. Now he woke screaming from dreams in which he watched his friends and family die and knew that it was his fault. He would be standing there while Voldemort advanced, and Ron, or Hermione or Sirius, or occasionally someone else entirely would run up to him and try to save him. But the Dark Lord always won, and Harry was left with a body in his arms as Voldemort disappeared with a shriek of laughter.

Life was killing Harry. And he was glad.

Sometime in his second - or was it the twenty-second? He no longer knew or cared - week in prison, Harry was startled to feel the cold plaguing him diminish. He knew it must be daytime, since the dementor had arrived at his cell not too long ago, but when he looked up he just barely saw a hooded figure glide out of sight. And voices were drifting down the hall.

" - not very pleasant creatures, dementors," someone was saying. Harry nearly snorted. He could have told them that back in his third year. "I always send them away when I visit."

Dimly Harry registered the speaker: Fudge. He wasn't alone, judging by the number of footsteps. Harry didn't bother to move from where he lay curled up on the floor. He rarely moved for himself, and he certainly wasn't about to so that the man who put him here could have a better image.

"Oh, you don't want to go that way," came Dawlish's hurried voice. "That's where the life sentences are held. It's not often pretty."

"Actually, I would like to see them." Harry didn't know this light male voice. "It would be good to have notes on the effects of dementors over a long period of time."

"Very well," Fudge said. It sounded like he was clenching his teeth.

The footsteps came closer, and Harry pulled himself into a smaller ball. Maybe they wouldn't notice him.

"Who is that?" The unknown man asked curiously.

Harry recognized the next speaker instantly: Lucius Malfoy. "Bellatrix Lestrange. Convicted for using the Cruciatus curse." His quiet voice betrayed no emotion except slight contempt. A pen scribbled furiously.

The footsteps stopped again, outside the cell across from his. "This is her husband." Fudge said with an undercurrent of triumph. Harry supposed that he was proud for having both of them in Azkaban. _He acts like a collector,_ he thought bitterly.

"And this man? Merlin, he looks young."

Harry raised his head, catching the reporter's gaze. Something like shock flickered over his face, and the young man looked at Fudge incredulously.

"That's, um, Will Smith. He was convicted for murdering - a muggle." Fudge lied.

"But he looks so much like Harry Potter!"

All four of the other members of the group looked at him. "He is not Harry Potter. You would do well not to say that he is here, Dave," Lucius said softly. His voice did not bode well if the reporter disobeyed.

Dave stared into Fudge's face defiantly for a moment, then appeared to think better of it. But Harry frantically met his gaze again before the party left, and Harry could have sworn that he saw pity in those wide blue eyes before he, too, moved on.

"I need to speak to someone. I will catch up in a bit," Lucius's voice drifted back. Footsteps again, doubling back.

"So," Lucius stopped outside Harry's cell, taking the key and letting himself in. "Dumbledore's golden boy, who escaped the Dark Lord yet again just a month ago, has been locked in Azkaban by his own people."

Harry didn't say anything. _Don't say I brought him back,_ he begged in his mind. _I can't handle that._

Evidently nobody listened to his feeble prayer. "My Lord is alive again, thanks to you. He was worried, of course, when you escaped. What if you alerted the whole of the wizarding world to his return? You tried. But fortunately, our dear Minister isn't too eager to believe you, especially after the whole Sirius Black affair." Lucius sighed exaggeratedly. "And to think he isn't even a death eater."

Harry didn't move, didn't even bother to look at the man. Lucius changed tactics.

"I have an offer for you."

Silence.

"Don't you want to hear it? I can get you out of here, you know. Back into the real world. You could stop hearing your parents die."

More silence.

"Very well, then. I'll tell you anyway. My Lord wishes you to join him. To be his right-hand man. You could be great, greater even than Dumbledore. You wouldn't have to die. My Lord is truly merciful."

"I will never join Voldemort!" Harry croaked out, ashamed at the way his voice sounded.

Lucius smiled nastily. "Are you sure? You could get revenge on those who have done this to you. Those who have left you here, not caring. It wouldn't hurt you, you know."

"_Killing someone_ would hurt me. Torturing someone. I won't do it," Harry said determinedly.

The smile turned to a sneer. "Pain is beautiful, you stupid boy. Let me show you."

Before Harry could move, a foot had come out of nowhere and connected hard with his side. Harry bit his lip to keep from crying out. He wouldn't give Lucius the satisfaction…

But the foot came again, this time spraying blood from his face onto the floor. Harry couldn't stop the rain of blows, couldn't keep from whimpering when he felt his ribs snap. So he tried to clear his mind and think of nothing at all.

Lucius kept kicking him with his metal-toed boots until Harry was on the verge of unconsciousness. "Remember this, boy." He whispered maliciously. "The Dark Lord always knows." He pushed his foot one last time into Harry's chest before turning and exiting the cell.

Harry couldn't move. Even breathing caused him pain. _I'm sorry, Sirius,_ he thought. _I should have fought back, I should have tried harder… _ Part of him knew that in this state, there was nothing he could have done to defend himself, but the pain was clouding his mind.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dementor glide back into position in front of his cell. Then the screaming came back full force, and Harry's head hit the floor as he blacked out.

**pqpqpqpqpqpqpq**

Dave was perplexed. Who was Will Smith? He thought he'd gotten himself up-to-date on all of the life prisoners of Azkaban, but this one was new. And he looked like he couldn't be much older than thirteen. Plus there was his resemblance to Harry Potter. Dave hadn't met the Boy Who Lived personally, but he'd seen plenty of pictures and the likeness was uncanny. But why would Fudge lock Harry Potter in Azkaban? Surely it would have been in the paper.

The rest of the tour had been uneventful, aside from Mr. Malfoy's return to the party with the toes of his boots slightly bloody. Malfoy had caught Dave staring, wide-eyed, and quickly swished his cloak to cover the stains.

Dave had chosen to stay in one of the short-term cells, which weren't as heavily guarded. He needed to keep his wits about him in order to take accurate notes. Fudge had definitely been understating when he said that the dementors weren't pleasant. Several times he'd had to shake himself out of memories, including the one where his dad had informed him of his mother's death at Voldemort's hands.

_Nobody deserves a lifetime of this,_ Dave had found himself thinking. But some of these people had probably helped to kill innocents like his mother… between the Will Smith mystery and the ethics of trapping someone in the worst moments of their life, Dave definitely had food for thought.

**A/N: **I promise not to take months with the next one! Um, I think that's all I have to say right now. Bye, and don't forget to review!

**Lunaterra**


	5. Talks and Revelations

**A/N: Sorry about taking so long (again!). My life has been insane lately - I ended up going to regular school instead of online courses, and I'm in soccer, so I come home from school late and do homework (or occasionally sleep - I hate Mondays) and crash. Therefore I've had very little time to write. On the other hand, I actually have a social life now, which has been wonderful.**

**I've been thinking a lot about where this thing is going to go. Some things will be the same as in OotP (Grimmauld Place, and other things), and some won't be. I can tell you right now that the climax will definitely be different, and the prophecy will play a different role. By the way, I swear that the next chapter will be longer. And it won't take me nearly as long to get out as the last few have. Promise!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this chapter. Oh, the horror!**

**Chapter 5: Talks and Revelations**

It had been two and a half weeks since Harry's incarceration, and Dumbledore still appeared to have no idea what to do. Remus was getting increasingly worried about his former student, and he noticed that Sirius seemed agitated as well. His friend no longer ate as much, and came down to the breakfast table with large circles under his eyes. Sirius was also spending a lot of time shut up with Buckbeak. Remus had no idea how much Sirius knew, but realized that the dog Animagus was aware that _something_ was off.

"Professor Lupin?"

Remus turned to smile at Hermione. "Call me Remus, Hermione. I'm not your teacher anymore."

"Um, all right, Remus." She picked at the floor with her toe. "Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and I are going to Diagon Alley to get presents for Harry's birthday next week. Do you want to come?"

Remus's heart twisted in his chest. _They don't know._ "I think I should stay here. Full moon's coming up in a few days." He sat on the couch and gestured to the armchair across from him. "Would you sit, please? I have something to tell you."

Hermione obliged, casting a curious look at him.

"I don't know if Harry's going to be here for his birthday," he began.

"But I thought - "

"Harry's in prison. The Ministry is blaming Cedric's death on him."

Hermione froze. "In prison meaning at the Ministry, or out at Azkaban?"

Sometimes Remus wished the girl wasn't so darn _clever_. "Azkaban."

He glanced at her. Hermione was pale, but composed. "Thank you for telling me. Am I allowed to tell the others?"

"I'll leave it up to you," Remus echoed Dumbledore's words to him about Sirius. "I don't know if I was supposed to tell you, though, so would you try to keep it quiet?"

Hermione nodded. "Of course." She stood, picking up her book bag. "I think I'll wait till after we go shopping. We can still have a party when Harry gets out."

Remus watched as Hermione exited the living room, shutting the door behind her. Something had been off about their conversation. But she had seemed genuinely shocked, so either the fifth-year was a very good actress or she honestly hadn't known.

The grand piano in the corner looked very appealing. Carefully he slid back the lid and began to play. Just a few lines into the piece, the living room door opened again.

"Why, it's Moony, the man of many talents! He can turn into a wolf, hex people beyond recognition, stop dementors, and play the piano," Sirius laughed, though his eyes were haunted. Remus shivered involuntarily. He had long since learned that this particular look was associated with Azkaban.

Thinking it through quickly, he made a decision. Sirius had to know. Having been in Azkaban himself, he had more of a right than anyone else to know that his godson was there.

"Padfoot, you're the hex genius, remember?" Remus said lightly. He gestured for Sirius to come sit next to him on the piano bench. "Listen, Sirius. I have to tell you something."

Sirius's eyes sharpened. "It's about Harry, isn't it." He didn't phrase it as a question.

Remus's jaw dropped. "How did you - "

"Remus, I haven't had a letter from him in over two weeks. He's my godson. Of course I noticed. What's happened to him?"

The former professor sighed. He should have known that something like that wouldn't escape his friend's attention. "Fudge had him arrested and taken to Azkaban for killing Cedric Diggory."

Sirius didn't say anything. Only he didn't look surprised… more relieved…

"You knew?" Remus gasped, putting two and two together. "How?"

"Eavesdropping. But Moony, it means a lot to me that you trusted me enough to tell me yourself. I just don't… I can't…" As Remus watched, Sirius's eyes spilled over and he began to sob. He put his arms around his friend and rocked him back in forth as Sirius cried his heart out.

"Shhh, Padfoot. It's going to be okay. He'll be out soon." Remus crooned. "You're getting my robes wet."

Sirius let out a strangled laugh. "I'm sorry. I just can't stand the thought of him in that hellhole… it nearly killed _me_. I would hate the thought of him in there even if he'd been pampered all his life, and Harry's past is far more tragic than my own. He's gone through so much; lost so much. Merlin, Remus, I wish I could just take all that pain away…" His voice trailed away as he buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. You know I don't usually cry like this - "

Remus put his fingers under Sirius's chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Sirius, don't," he said gently. "Harry's strong. He'll pull through. You can't torture yourself because of something that isn't your fault." He let his voice become softer. "I would know. How do you think I felt when _you_ were in Azkaban? Trust me, I didn't take comfort. I guess, in my heart, I never believed you could hurt anyone so badly, let alone Lily and James."

"You believed in me?" Sirius croaked.

"I don't know," Remus laughed bitterly. "Part of me thought that there was too much evidence for it not to be true. But another part thought that the boy who stuck by me when he knew what I was, who ran around Hogwarts turning statues orange, who would have died for what he believed was right, could never have been able to kill anyone. When I saw Wormtail on the Map, how I felt…"

"When I saw you, I knew I was home," Sirius said in a low voice, tears still coursing down his cheeks. "You and Harry. I had part of my family back. The living part that I actually want to claim, even if it's not by blood"

Remus pulled his friend - the man who he thought of in his heart as his adopted brother - close, allowing his own eyes to spill over. "We'll get him back, Padfoot. I promise."

"Is Dumbledore doing anything?" Sirius asked, wiping his eyes.

"Not that I know of. He seems lost, like he doesn't know any way to get Harry out. And he probably doesn't, or he would have used it."

"I could break in," Sirius said quietly, not meeting Remus's gaze.

Remus's eyes widened and he grabbed his friend's shoulders. "Sirius, you can't. If you're caught, they'll give you the Kiss. Harry would have lost the person he trusts most for nothing. If you simply rush in there, you might as well condemn Harry to death, because I don't know if he'd get over it." He shook Sirius roughly to emphasize the point.

"Relax, Moony." Sirius showed signs of a genuine, albeit crooked, smile. "I wouldn't go in there without a plan. But I think I can do it." He looked away again. "I already have a strategy. I was going to wait for the full moon. You'd know where I went if I disappeared suddenly. I'm glad you told me yourself, Remus,"

"I am too, Sirius."

They were silent for a minute.

"So what's this plan of yours? Anything I can do?" Remus asked, breaking the moment.

"I had intended to Portkey to some field, ride Buckbeak out to Azkaban, break Harry out with my new wand, ride Beaky back off the island, and then Portkey back in."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "The wards?"

Sirius chuckled. "I should be able to get around those, as the owner of the house. And the Fidelius charm is only on the Order, not on the house itself."

Remus fairly choked. "And you came up with this yourself?" His tone suggested just how much he doubted it.

"Er, no, actually," Sirius squirmed. "Hermione helped with that particular theory."

"I should have known, but she's a good actress," Remus groaned. "Just who is in on this bloody plan of yours?"

"Language, Moony," Sirius teased as he ticked them off on his fingers. "Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George. And now you."

"So what's left? I want to help," said Remus seriously. "Anything."

Sirius looked down. "What I mostly need is an alibi."

"An alibi? But if you come barging into the kitchen carrying Harry, they'll know…" Remus shut up as he caught on. "You mean so that nobody will suspect that you've gone, since you're not supposed to leave the house."

"Exactly." Sirius nodded.

"Well, when do you want to do it? Full moon's in four days, and you were going to do it then, right? If you want to up the plans, I can work with that, too."

"I wish," Sirius said unhappily. "Without a new wand, all the plans are useless. But if it's not here by the moon, I'm glad to know that I won't have to wait a month to get another chance." He smiled slightly. "I'd probably go mad."

Remus squeezed his hand. "From worry."

"Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well," Sirius complained half-heartedly.

"No you don't," countered Remus amiably.

"True." Sirius stood. "I - " he yawned widely and sat stumbled a few steps before collapsing on the couch. "Don't stop playing," he muttered. "I like it."

Remus watched, amused, as his friend's eyes fluttered closed and his breathing evened out. Tenderly he picked up a blanket and tucked it around the sleeping form. He knew quite well that it had to be the first decent sleep Sirius had had since his godson's imprisonment.

_What should I play?_ Remus wondered, flipping through the sheet music on the piano and selecting a Bach aria. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Maybe everything really would work out.

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**I apologize for this being so short - I'm home sick from school today, and still feel like cp, and am going to go lie down now! I love you all - please review!**

**Lunaterra**

**P.S. We're currently taking care of several very sweet mutt puppies, so if anyone wants one and is willing to fly a long long ways... **


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